Publications by authors named "Leonarda Rella"

Purpose: To evaluate the role of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in recognizing the complications of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and providing a prognostic grading system for the therapeutic approach.

Materials And Methods: A total of 43 patients who underwent ESWL because of urinary stone disease were assessed by 320-row MDCT examination before and after ESWL. Pre-ESWL CT unenhanced scans were performed for diagnosing stone disease.

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Background: The use of an abbreviated magnetic resonance (MR) protocol has been recently proposed for cancer screening. The aim of our study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of an abbreviated MR protocol combining short TI inversion recovery (STIR), turbo-spin-echo (TSE)-T2 sequences, a pre-contrast T1, and a single intermediate (3 minutes after contrast injection) post-contrast T1 sequence for characterizing breast lesions.

Materials And Methods: A total of 470 patients underwent breast MR examination for screening, problem solving, or preoperative staging.

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Objective: To evaluate spatial displacement of breast lesions from prone MR to supine ultrasound positions, and to determine whether the degree of displacement may be associated with breast density and lesion histotype.

Methods: 380 patients underwent breast MR and second-look ultrasound. The MR and ultrasound lesion location within the breast gland, distances from anatomical landmarks (nipple, skin and pectoral muscle), spatial displacement (distance differences from the landmarks within the same breast region) and region displacement (breast region change) were prospectively evaluated.

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Objectives: To investigate whether background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and breast cancer would correlate searching for any significant difference of BPE pattern distribution in case of benign or malignant lesions.

Methods: 386 patients, including 180 pre-menopausal (group 1) and 206 post-menopausal (group 2), underwent MR examination. Two radiologists evaluated MR images classifying normal BPE as minimal, mild, moderate or marked.

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Purpose: To assess the role of STIR, T2-weighted TSE and DWIBS sequences for detecting and characterizing breast lesions and to compare unenhanced (UE)-MRI results with contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI and histological findings, having the latter as the reference standard.

Materials And Methods: Two hundred eighty consecutive patients (age range, 27-73 years; mean age±standard deviation (SD), 48.8±9.

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Aims And Background: Computed tomography (CT) does not represent the primary method for the evaluation of breast lesions; however, it can detect breast abnormalities, even when performed for other reasons related to thoracic structures. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of 320-row multidetector CT (MDCT) in evaluating and differentiating incidentally detected breast lesions by using vessel probe and 3D analysis software with net enhancement value.

Methods And Study Design: Sixty-two breast lesions in 46 patients who underwent 320-row chest CT examination were retrospectively evaluated.

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Purpose: Our purpose was to retrospectively evaluate the incidence and morphologic features of diabetic mastopathy in a group of patients with diabetes, searching for specific sonographic characteristics of diabetic mastopathy.

Methods: One hundred twenty diabetic patients underwent breast clinical examination, mammography, and sonography. All detected breast lesions were confirmed histopathologically.

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Objectives: Diffusion-weighted imaging with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) provides both qualitative and quantitative imaging of breast lesions and are usually performed before contrast material injection (CMI). This study aims to assess whether the administration of gadolinium significantly affects DWIBS imaging.

Methods: 200 patients were prospectively evaluated by MRI with STIR, TSE-T2, pre-CMI DWIBS, contrast enhanced THRIVE-T1 and post-CMI DWIBS sequences.

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Acute intestinal ischemia is an abdominal emergency occurring in nearly 1% of patients presenting with acute abdomen. The causes can be occlusive or non occlusive. Early diagnosis is important to improve survival rates.

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Objectives: Diffusion imaging represents a new imaging tool for the diagnosis of breast cancer. This study aims to investigate the role of diffusion-weighted MRI with background body signal suppression (DWIBS) for evaluating breast lesions.

Methods: 90 patients were prospectively evaluated by MRI with STIR, TSE-T2, contrast enhanced THRIVE-T1 and DWIBS sequences.

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Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence, the site and the nature of extra-mammary findings on breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine its accuracy in the characterization of the discovered lesions.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review of 308 female patients (mean age 50 ± 20) who underwent breast MRI with 1.5T device was performed.

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Introduction: Malignant melanoma is one of the most rapidly increasing cancer in the world. Breast metastases from melanoma are uncommon but could reflect a widespread disease.

Presentation Of Case: We report a case of malignant widespread melanoma presenting with bilateral breast nodules in a 39 year-old pre-menopausal Caucasian woman with an history of cutaneous melanoma of the trunk.

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Intestinal endometriosis represents a common condition that occurs particularly in women of reproductive age. The gastrointestinal tract is the third most common localization of endometriosis, after the ovaries and the peritoneum, and recto-sigmoid tract is involved in 70% of cases. Recto-sigmoid endometriosis has to be differentiated from other diseases of large bowel, especially in patients without a history of endometriosis.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic potential of multi-planar and volumetric reconstructions obtained from isotropic data by using 16-slice computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and staging of chronic pancreatitis. In a group of 42 patients CT images were evaluated searching for alterations in morphology and structure of the pancreas, alterations of the Wirsung duct, dilatation of the bile ducts, fluid collections, and vascular involvement of the digestive tract. The disease was then staged in mild, moderate and severe and correlated with the clinical staging.

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the adult transient intestinal intussusceptions on CT before and after the administration of gastrointestinal contrast material. We evaluated two different gastrointestinal contrast materials: hyperdense and hypodense. In all cases the gastrointestinal contrast agent solved the invaginations.

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Objectives: To assess the contribute of intra-prosthetic MRI virtual navigation for evaluating breast implants and detecting implant ruptures.

Methods: Forty-five breast implants were evaluated by MR examination. Only patients with a clinical indication were assessed.

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Background: Functional cerebral asymmetries (FCAs) are known to fluctuate across the menstrual cycle. The visual line-bisection task administered to normally cycling women showed different patterns of the interhemispheric interactions during menses and the midluteal cycle phase. However, the contribution of estrogens and progestins hormones to this phenomenon is still unclear.

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